"The Food-Safe School Needs Assessment and Planning Guide" is a tool that can help schools assess their food safety policies, procedures, and programs and develop plans for improvement. This tool includes a simple, straightforward questionnaire, score card, and planning guide that give administrators, school staff, families, and students a chance…

The goal of the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) option in the Healthy School Meals Initiative is to minimize plate waste and to encourage more food choices in school meal programs. This manual was designed for child nutrition programs as a tool in helping them meet the Healthy School Meals Initiative, in particular to assist them in identifying a…

This menu planning guide for school lunches and breakfasts contains: (1) lunch requirements, recommendations, and policies; (2) the basics of menu planning; (3) how to vary portions for various age/grade groups; (4) planning breakfasts; (5) merchandising school lunches and breakfasts; and (6) nutrition education and menu planning; Appendixes…

When students pack up for college, they take along the basics-- TV, laptop, MP3 player, and cell phone. Many students will arrive at school with a microwave oven, tabletop grill, mini fridge, and toaster oven in tow. Most students, however, don't know there are food safety considerations when cooking with these appliances. The USDA Meat and…

Offered in this guide are facts enabling family day care providers in Michigan to serve meals meeting meal pattern requirements of the state's Child Care Food Program. Adapted from the "Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs," contents are based on the latest Federal regulations and meal pattern requirements, current food…

A Pennsylvania school district served meals to nearly 80 percent of the students this past year. Student participation was achieved by asking students' opinions, monitoring food quality, redesigning menus, increasing staff morale, providing a pleasant cafeteria atmosphere, and sponsoring nutrition programs. (MLF)

The goal of every school food service program is to serve nutritionally adequate, attractive, acceptable, and moderately priced meals. Recognizing that the quality of the meal depends upon the knowledge, ability, and judgment of the person planning menus, this guide provides information on the menu planning and meal service options available in…

A food service director for a YMCA camp offers advice on conducting yearly in-house training for camp cooks. Training resources could include a camp-specific training manual, training videos, training guidebooks, and demonstration of kitchen equipment. Health department issues should be covered during training. Kitchen resources from the American…

This book, sponsored by a group called Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, shows parents and others why they should care about the way food is grown in America, how the food production system needs to be changed, and ways to make it better for their families and communities. Chapter 1 details why the current food production system needs to…

This manual provides information on creditable and noncreditable foods in child care centers, before-and-after-school centers, family day care homes, and adult day care centers. Creditable foods are foods that may be counted toward meeting the requirements for a reimbursable meal. Foods are determined to be creditable according to guidelines…

Like food-service establishments, child nutrition programs are responsible for preserving the quality and wholesomeness of food. Proper food-handling practices prevent contamination and job-related accidents. Application of the evaluation instrument presented in this document to individual programs helps to define proper practices, assess the…

Reviews Food Guide Pyramid for fruits and vegetables for 2- to 6-year-old children. Identifies standard of five daily servings, defines children's portion sizes, presents guidelines for choosing appropriate foods, and suggests learning activities that use fruits and vegetables. Recommends 31 children's books about fruits and vegetables. (DLH)

Recommendations are made on how school lunch programs can provide better nutrition and promote healthier eating habits. Recommendations consist of goals with both short-term and mid-term objectives. The short-term objectives should be implemented over the next 2 to 4 years; the mid-term objectives should be implemented by the year 2000 or sooner…

School food service should be considered a vital aspect of school operations, not an appendage to the educational program. This handbook revolves around the federal Child Nutrition and National School Lunch program serving about 24 million pupils daily in over 90 percent of the nation's 89,200 public schools. The booklet helps explain various…

This guide is based on the latest federal regulations and meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. It considers current food production and marketing techniques, packaging methods, grading standards, and changing food habits in the American population. The guide gives average yield information on over 600…